Jury in Etan Patz case begins deliberations
Pedro Hernandez, right, appears in Manhattan criminal court with his attorney Harvey Fishbein, in New York in 2012. Credit: AP / Louis Lanzano, Pool, File
The jury in the Etan Patz murder trial deliberated for 90 minutes after completion of the judge's charge in Manhattan Supreme Court on Wednesday and is scheduled to resume on Thursday.
Justice Maxwell Wiley told jurors that defendant Pedro Hernandez was charged with three crimes in Etan's 1979 disappearance -- second-degree murder, kidnapping and a separate felony-murder count charging that the boy died while being kidnapped.
Etan vanished on his way to catch a school bus in SoHo. Hernandez told police in a now-disputed 2012 confession that as a teen working in a local bodega he lured the 6-year-old into the basement and strangled him.
The confession is the only evidence directly implicating Hernandez. Wiley told the jury it must find some corroborating evidence, apart from his words, that a crime was actually committed. Etan's body was never found.
Sarra Sounds Off, Ep. 17: Olympics a possibility for Long Beach wrestler? On the latest episode of "Sarra Sounds Off," Newsday's Gregg Sarra talks with Long Beach wrestler Dunia Sibomana-Rodriguez about pursuing a third state title and possibly competing in the Olympics in 2028, plus Jared Valluzzi has the plays of the week.
Sarra Sounds Off, Ep. 17: Olympics a possibility for Long Beach wrestler? On the latest episode of "Sarra Sounds Off," Newsday's Gregg Sarra talks with Long Beach wrestler Dunia Sibomana-Rodriguez about pursuing a third state title and possibly competing in the Olympics in 2028, plus Jared Valluzzi has the plays of the week.
